Viscosity meter



May 22, 1934. v. A. SCHOENBERG VISCOSITY METER' Filed July 24, 1933 a Inz/en $022, Ifityz'l a Sa/zoen e59 Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 1,960,225 VISCOSITY mm:

Virgil A. Schoenberg, Niles Center, Ill. Application July 24, 1933,Serial No. 681,959 Claims. (01.265-11) This invention relates toinstruments for measshaft 8 which carries a liquid container 9. Thisuring the viscosity or other characteristics of a adjustment isprovidedfor by mounting the refluid which are ascertainable by relativemovestoring instrument 4 on the end of a tube 10 which ment between thefluid and a drag means. is slidable horizontally within a sleeve 11 by 5The purposes of the invention are to provide means of an adjusting screw12. The sleeve 11 electromagnetic apparatus for making such is fixed tothe side of a vertically adjustable tube measurements under regulatedtemperatures and 13 slidable within the sleeve 14 extending updefiniterelative speeds between the fluid and a wardly from thesupporting base15. Tube 13 is driven reactance elemen vertically adjustable within thesleeve 14 by 10 The invention may be practiced by means of means ofscrew 16. a construction as illustrated in the drawing, in The tubes 10and 13 have scale markings so which: that the position of the restoringinstrument drag Figure l is a diagram showing the instrument element maybe exactly determined with referv in side elevation and partly insection. erfce to the liquid container 9. The latter is ro- 15 Fig. 2 isa face view of an electromagnetic tatable with shaft 8, the lower end ofwhich is reactance device for operating against the drag coupled with asynchronous motor indicated at of a moving fluid. 17. The motor is undercontrol of switch 18.

The principal element of this viscosity meter The casing 19 surroundingthe liquid conis a drag device arranged to contact with liquid tainer 9has double walls 20, the space between 20 in motion and to be shiftedaway from the zero which is filled with insulating material, and it ornormal position by the action of the liquid also has a horizontalpartition wall 21 for catchthereon. This drag device is coupled withelecing spillage from the liquid container 9. Betromagnetic means forrestoring it to its zero neath the partition wall 21 is an electricalheater position against the action of the moving liquid, 22 under thecontrol of a switch 23 and a rheo- 25 and the restoring force requiredis indicated by stat 24. The cover of casing 19 is also formed anammeter in electrical units or equivalent units to provide a thermometerwell 25 convenient for indicating the drag between the liquid and antaking temperature readings from the center element immersed therein;This manner of of receptacle 9. measuring drag by the value of arestoring force The coil 6 of the drag element of restoring 30 permitsthe use of highly accurate and reliable means 4 is connected by wires26and 27 to a req pm n sistance 28. An ammeter 29 is connected in the Thedrag device may be in: the form ofa disc 1 circuit 01 wire 26 whichterminates in the adcarried on the lower end of an arm 2 whichdejustable contact arm 30 of the resistance which pends from an armatureshaft 3 of an instrument bridges wires 26 and 2'7 and wires 31 and 32con- 35 4 for restoring the drag'device against the acheating it withabattery 33. tion of a flowing fluid thereon. A pointer 5 is In making atest for viscosity rating 01', for 1 also carried by the armature shaftand,as shown example, a lubricating oil, the container 9 is about. byFig. 2, rests in its central or zero position. half-filled with the oiland set in rotation by The pointer and drag device are normally held inclosing the switch 18. The oil is also brought to 40 the centralvertical position as shown by Fig. 2, and held at a definite temperatureby closing either by gravity or an equivalent resilient means. switch 23and adjusting the rheostat 24. Then' In this position the armature coil6 sets with its adjusting screws 12 and 16 are operated so as to axisvertical in the field of a permanent magnet lower disc 1 and to bring itto the desired radial 7. The drag arm 2 and the pointer 5 are dedistancefrom the center of shaft 8 for the desired 45 flected from the zeroposition according to the relative speed between disc 1 and the fluidduring action oi. a fluid on disc 1, and the desired measthe test.Switch 34 is closed and arm 30 is then urement of this action isaccomplished by eneradjusted along coil 28 to bring a zero readinggizing the coil 6 from zero value to the point reon the ammeter 29 whichindicates no flow quired to restore the indicator 5 to zero positionthrough coil 6. Switch 34 maybe closed and the 50 and taking an ammeterreading of the power arm 30 of the potentiometer adjusted to causerequired. zero indication on the ammeter 29 before the drag As theextent of immersion of disc 1 and the element 1 is immersed in thefluid, in which case velocity of the liquid should be exactlypredeterthe pointer 5 would also stand at the zero posimined, instrument4 is vertically adjustable and tion and indicate that the drag devicehas not 5 also adjustable toward and away from 'a rotating beendeflected by energy from coil 6. I no is deflected by action of theaction of the drag device.

When immersion takes place, the drag device the flowing fluid, but thehand 5 is not a reliable indicator of viscosity because it gives nomeasurement of its initial 'inertia. 3 However, the hand 5 and thedragelement 1 are brought back to zero position by an adjustment of arm30 of the potentiometer, allowing a current to flow through the coil 6oi. the value required for restoring hand 5 and the drag l to zero. Theindicating hand of the amme- -ter 29 moves up to a position forindicating the energy required for restoring the drag 1. This indicationvaries according to the viscosity of the liquids tested under likeconditions.

It is tobe understood that details oi. the construction shown may bealtered or omitted without departing from this invention as defined bythe following claims:

I claim: r

l. A viscosity meter comprising a fluid container, means for rotatingthe container and the fluid therein at a deflnite speed, a temperatureregulatingmeans associated with said container, a drag device arrangedto be immersed in the fluid and deflected from its normal position bymoving fluid, electrical torque producing means for restoring the dragdevice to its normal position against the action of the fluid, and anelectrical measuring instrument for indicating the power required forrestoring the 2. A viscosity meter comprising a fluid container, meansfor rotating the container and the fluid therein at a definite speed, adrag device arranged to be immersed in the fluid and deflected from itsnormal position by the action of the moving fluid, electrical torqueproducing means for restoring the drag device to its normal positionagainst the action of the fluid, and an electrical measuring instrumenttor indicating the power required for restoring the drag device.

3. In a viscosity meter a drag device and a liquid container, said dragdevice being resiliently mounted and movable toward and away from thenormal zero position, means for producing relative motion between saiddrag device and a liquid in said container, electromagnetic meansforrestoring the drag device to its zero position against the action of themeasuring instrument for indicating the power required for restoring thedrag device.

4. A viscosity meter comprising a liquid supporting element, asynchronous motor for driving said element, a. liquid temperatureregulating means, an electromagnetic instrument having an armature, aliquid contact member depending from said armature over said liquidcontainer, means for regulating the depth of immersion of said contactelement and for moving it toward and away from the center of the liquidcontainer, and an ammeter and source of electrical energy connected withsaid armature.

5. In a viscosity meter a drag device and a liquid container, said dragdevice being resiliently mounted and movable toward and away from thenormal zero position, means for producing relative motion between saiddrag device and a liquid in said container, electromagnetic torqueproducing means for restoring the drag device to its zero positionagainst the action of the liquid, an operating circuit for saidelectromagnetic means including a source of electromotive force and aresistance for regulating'said circuit,.and means for indicating thepower required for restoring the drag device.

VIRGIL A; SCHOENBERG.

liquid, and an electrical

